Show ContentsChaplain History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Chaplain family

The surname Chaplain was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family has been a prominent family for centuries, and held a family seat with lands and manor. The family were well established in the region of Calvados and several members of the family distinguished themselves through their contributions toward the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility.

Early History of the Chaplain family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chaplain research. Another 81 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1811 is included under the topic Early Chaplain History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaplain Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Chapelain, Capelain, Chaplain, Chaplin, Lechapelain, Caplain, Lecapelain, Lecaplin, Lechaplin, Lechaplain, Lecaplain, Chappelain, Cappelain, Chapplain, Chapplin, Capplin and many more.

Early Notables of the Chaplain family

More information is included under the topic Early Chaplain Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chaplain Ranking

In France, the name Chaplain is the 5,710th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 1


United States Chaplain migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Chaplain Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Clement Chaplain, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1635 2
  • Annie Chaplain, who arrived in Maryland in 1669 2

New Zealand Chaplain migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Chaplain Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Chaplain, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Palmyra" arriving in Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 19th February 1858 3
  • Mrs. Ellen Chaplain, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 4
  • Mr. Jessie Chaplain, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 4
  • Mr. William Chaplain, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 4
  • Mr. Alexander Chaplain, South African settler travelling from Cape Town aboard the ship "Eveline" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 22nd January 1865 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Chaplain (post 1700) +

  • Sylvia Chaplain, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire, 1972 5
  • Chaplain Colonel John Thomas Axton (1870-1934), American Army officer, the First Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army (1920 to 1928)
  • Chaplain J W Muggoch, Scottish army captain, listed in the honour roll of those of the University of Glasgow, who lost their lives in WWI


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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